Molding-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. ANDERSON.

MOLDING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 27,1881.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. PhcloL'flhugmpMr, Washmgkon, 01 :2.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-SheSt 2.

J. ANDERSON.

MOLDING MACHINE. No. 251,497. Patented Dec. 27,1881.

WITNESSES: I v INVBOR:

' ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, PhulmLithugnphcr. Washi n nnnnnn c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ANDERSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MOLDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,497, dated December27, 1881, Application filed J one 11, 1881. (No model.)

1' 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES ANDERSON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Molding Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My improvement relates to machines for forming spiral moldings uponstairway-posts and similar articles, which work has heretofore beengenerally done with a lathe by using a hand-tool.

The object of my invention is to accomplish such work by automaticmechanism and by devices which allow variations in the character of theornamentation, to which ends I construct a lathe combining feedmechanism for giving spiral movement to the work and a revolvingcutter-head, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the machine.Fig. 2 is a Vertical longitudinalsection of the same. Fig. 3 isavertical transverse section on line at 00 ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectionof the cutter-head in the plane of its axis. Figs. 5 and 6 are detailviews, and Figs. 7,8, and 9 represent different forms of molding whichcan be made on the machine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the main bed or frame of the machine, fitted with a driving-shaft,a, to which power is to be applied.

B is the lathe or work-bed, resting loosely upon bed A, and providedwith fixed posts I) b at one end and an adjustable tail-post, V, at ornear the other end. The posts b I) carry an arbor, c, that is providedwith a center or point, 0, and the tail-post b is fitted with ascrew-point, b

O is a head-block, fixed on bed A about its mid-length, behind thework-bed B, and sustainin g, in suitable boxes, a, an arbor, to, whichis thus held at right angles to the bed B and in the same planehorizontally, or nearly so, as the centers 0 D The arbor carries aconepulley, w that may connect by a belt to a similar pulley, a, onshaft a, or the pulley may connect with power independently. The shaftwalso carries the cutter-head, which, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, isconstructed as follows:

d is a sleeve or hub, fitted in the inner box, c of shaft to around theshaft, and fitted with a set-nut, d, at the side of the box, by whichthe hub is held from being turned.

0 e are radial arms, formed on hub d at opposite sides, and curvedoutward, so as to receive the cutter, arbor, and gearing between theirends.

f is the cutter-arbor, fixed between screwpins e at its ends, that aretapped through the ends of arms 0.

g g are sleeves, loose on arbor j, and formed at their outer ends withenlargements f, of bevel form.

It is a friction-driver, fixed on the end of shaft 20, its beveled edgeor flange h bearing on the beveled ends of sleeves g. The inner ends ofsleeves g are formed with plain faces, to which the cutters h arefastened. Two or more cutters may be used on each sleeve, and theiredges will be beveled more orless, according to the shape that is to becut.

The work-bed B is fitted with a screw-shaft, 1', extendinglongitudinally and held at the ends by boxes 11. At the mid-length ofthe screw is a sleeve, m, that is between arms a ofabracket, n, thatissuspended from the screw by the arms, one or both of which arms arethreaded to engage the screw. A vertical shaft, n fitted in bracket a,has at its upper end a pinion, m, engaging a similar pinion, m

on the nut m.

A fixed bracket, 0, at the end of drivingshaft a sustains a verticalshaft, 0, on which are loose arms 0 0 fixed bevel-gears p p, and a fixedpulley, p. The 'shaft n on bracket n passes through the outer ends ofarms 0 and the arms, being connected together, constitute 0 aswing-frame for the bracket, screw, and bed B.

The driving-shaft a has on its end a bevelpinion, c engaging with onegear-wheel, p, on shaft 0, and a belt from pulley p on said shaft passesto a pulley, p, on shaft W. The sleeve 5 m and screw are thus turned andan endwise movement given to bed B by engagement of the screw with thethreaded arm a. The bed can be turned on shaft n as a center, and alsobe swung to and from the cutter-head. 10o

' ion with either gear-wheel 1) orp, according A rock-shaft, g, fittedbeneath the bed B, is i formed with a crank-arm, from which extends arod, q, that sustains one end of driving-shaft a. The shaft (1 has ahandle-arm, (f, by which it can be rocked to move rod q up and down, andthus, by moving shaft to, engage the pinto the directionit is desired tomove bed B by the screw.

At the end of bed B, carrying the head center, is a worm-shaft, 0",carried by a bracket, 1", that is hung on the box 11 of the screw. Theupper end of this bracket engages a curved plate, 1, and is clamped by ascrew, so that the shaft can be placed at either side for engagement ofthe worm with a pinion, s, on the arbor c, and the work thus turned ineither direction as desired.

On the lower end of shaft 7' is a bevel-pinion, s, engaging a similarpinion on the screw 13. By these connections the work placed between thecenters is turned at the same time it is carried forward with the bed.

The arbor c is fitted with a loose sleeve, 1., which carries pinion sand a spring-arm, t. At the end of the sleeve a disk, to, is fixed onthe arbor, and is engaged by a lug or projection of arm t entering oneof numerous holes formed at regular intervals in the disk, so that thearbor and sleeve shall turn together. This arrangement is for adjustingthe center and the work with reference to the number of spiral beadsthat are to be cut, so that they shall be at uniform distances apart. InFigs. 7,8, and 9 the shapes shown are formed by five cuts, which aremade in succession, and the arbor e adjusted between each operation byreleasing the spring-arm t, turning the arbor, and then re-engaging thearm.

To secure uniform depth of out, there is fitted on the bed B a patternboard or strip, c, which is attached upon plates '12, projecting fromthe inner edge of the board, by screws passing through slots in theplates so that the board can be adjusted. A stop-piece, w, pivoted onthehead-block C, is placed for the edge of board 11 to bear against,thus limiting the movement of the bed toward the cutters, and the edgeof the board being shaped to conform to the surface of the work to becut, the cut made will be of uniform depth.

In operation, the work being placed between the centers, the bed movedto bring the end of the post to the cutters, and the machine started,thework moves lengthwise, and at the same time revolves, so that the knivescut in a spiral path and form a continuous spiral groove or bead fromend to end of the post. The operator, with his hands on the work-bedB,holds. the work up to the cutters, and by retaining the bed more or lessinclined variations in the form of cut can be produced by the samecutters. The cutters will be changed to vary the pat tern. To form aplain V-shaped groove they will be simply beveled, as shown in Fig. 2,so that each cutter forms half the groove. Variations of that form areshown in Figs. 8 and 9, wherein a head is raised at the bottom of thegroove. To produce the form shown in Fig. 7, the cutters are shaped andadjusted to cut at nearly right angles, so that one acts merely-to shapeone side of the groove. The pattern can be further modified by turningthe hub 61 in the box a to position the cutter-arbor f more or lessinclined.

The friction-surfaces of the driver It and the beveled portion ofsleeves g will be fitted with elastic material applied to either or bothsurfaces to insure action. As shown in Fig. 4, the arbor 20, carryingthe driver, is fitted for endwise adjustment, so that the pressure uponthe sleeves can be regulated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim asnew and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In spiral-molding machines, the bed B, providedwith revolving feed-screw t, and centers c I), the worm-shaft a", wheel8, arbor a, andconnections to the feed-screw, combined for operationsubstantially as shown and described.

2. In spiralmolding machines, the revolving shaft n bevel-pinions m 022the swinging bracket 12, and threaded arm n, in combination with thefeed-screw i and work-carrying bed B, substantially as shown anddescribed, for operation as set forth. 7

3. The suspended bracket n, provided with threaded arm n, and thepivoted arms 0 in combination with the bed B and feed-screw i,substantially as shown and described, for the purposes set forth.

4. The bracket 12, provided with threaded arm n, pinions m m shaft npivoted arms 0 revolving shaft 0, and pulleys p 19 connected by belt,substantially as shown and described, in combination with the work-bed Band feedscrew 2', for operation as set forth.

5. In spiral-molding machines, the combination of the revolving shaftto, friction-driver h, hub 01, provided with arms 0, arbor f, andfriction-sleeves g, carrying the cutters, substantially as shown anddescribed, for operation as set forth.

6. In spiral-molding machines, the adjustable hub d, provided with arms0, and arbor f,

carrying the cutter, in combination with the driving-shaft w and driverh, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JAMES ANDERSQN.

Witnesses WILLIAM J AMES, JAMES G. LANDEns.

IIS

